Bollywood’s poster boy of glamour, Karan Johar, has taken a legal stand. He has moved the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights, in particular asking the court to restrain unauthorised usage of his name on merchandise and other commercial platforms. This move follows similar legal victories recently won by actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

So what exactly are "personality rights"? In simple terms, they cover the owning, controlling, and profiting from one’s name, image, signature, or similar identifiers. It’s what prevents others from using a celebrity’s likeness without permission. In Bachchan’s case, for example, the court found that several websites and platforms were misusing his name, images, and even employing AI technologies without his authorisation. That misuse was seen as diluting his reputation and goodwill. 

Johar’s petition aims to build on those precedents. He wants the court to protect him in the same way making sure nobody sells items using his identity without consent. This step underscores growing concern among public figures about commercial exploitation, especially when digital tools make copying and distributing images or content so much easier.

The legal argument also hinges on the idea that a public figure has both a personal stake and public interest in controlling how their persona is used. Unauthorised merchandising could confuse consumers or damage one’s brand. It also involves balancing freedom of expression with someone’s right to personal identity and image.

In the coming days, the Delhi HC will hear Johar’s plea. If granted, the protection could set further strong judicial standards for how Indian courts view misuse of celebrity identity in the era of digital replication and AI.